Antidepressant Holds Promise in Treating Alzheimer’s Agitation

A recent study led by Johns Hopkins University, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found the antidepressant drug citalopram (brand names Celexa and Cipramil) significantly relieved agitation in a group of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Findings suggest that the drug may be safer than the antipsychotic drugs currently used to treat the condition. Although antipsychotics are often used as first-line medication for Alzheimer’s-related agitation, they significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death. The study recruited patients who showed a collection of symptoms such as emotional distress, excessive movement, aggression, disruptive irritability, and disinhibition. Patients then underwent tests to define the extent of their agitation, memory, cognitive skills, and their caregivers’ stress levels — a factor strongly linked to the well-being of those with Alzheimer’s. The results of the study showed patients who took increasing doses of citalopram for nine weeks had significant relief from their agitation symptoms, with about 40 percent reporting “considerable relief” from their symptoms. The caregivers for the patients also reported less stress. To read more about this study, click here.